On Thursday, Candlestick Park — once home to the San Francisco Giants as well as the 49ers, now abandoned by both — hosted its last public event before closing down for good and preparing for demolition.

Sir Paul McCartney performed at the stadium, where he and the other three Beatles played their last ever stadium show in 1966. In anticipation of the concert, the hashtag #FarewelltoCandlestick was trending locally on Thursday.

Image: Tim Mosenfelder

McCartney wowed the crowd on Thursday night with a three-hour set filled with Beatles classics like "Hey Jude," "Let it Be," and "Eight Days a Week" as well as McCartney's solo hits and songs from his time with Wings. He also surprised fans with a cover of Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally,” which was the final song he played with the Beatles at their final concert in Candlestick almost exactly 48 years ago.

Though many were feeling nostalgic about saying goodbye to the Stick, the chilly night and traffic nightmare highlighted the problems fans have complained about for years. Routes to the stadium were so jammed that some who bought tickets missed the show entirely. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that it took one of their reporters nearly four hours to get to the stadium from Oakland, a distance of about 15 miles.

Some 49,000 people attended the McCartney show, part of his "Out There" tour. The San Francisco police were out in force — not just for crowd control, but to prevent Niners fans from taking mementos from their flawed, yet beloved, stadium.

"We don't want anybody to be trying to take any pieces of Candlestick Park," SFPD officer Gordon Shyy told a local ABC affiliate that morning. "If they do, the police will come and make contact with you, you could be facing some vandalism charges.

Named after its location, Candlestick Point on the western shore of the San Francisco Bay, Candlestick Park was built in 1960, and went through a series of expansions in its half-century history. To increase the number of seats for baseball games (59,000-capacity) and football games (62,000-capacity), the stadium saw its first expansion in 1969. Another 8,000 seats were added later.

Up until AT&T Park was completed in 2000, Candlestick Park was home to both of San Francisco's major sports teams: the Giants and the 49ers. With the opening of their new football stadium — Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, down the peninsula in the heart of Silicon Valley — the 49ers played their last home game at Candlestick on Dec. 23, 2013.

Candlestick's fans have cheered some of the greatest players of all time in any sport: baseball legends Willie Mays and Barry Bonds as well as football legends Joe Montana, Dwight Clark, Jerry Rice and Steve Young.

Fireworks explode over Candlestick Park after the San Francisco 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-24 in an NFL football game in San Francisco on Dec. 23, 2013.

Image: Aaron Kehoe/Associated Press

Naturally, the Stick has also seen some of the greatest sports rivalries — the beginnings of the Los Angeles Dodgers-Giants rivalry, the famed Battles of the Bay between the the Oakland Raiders and the 49ers, and the Oakland Athletics and the Giants.

It was during game 3 of the World Series between the A's and the Giants, held at the Stick in October 1989, that the most devastating San Francisco earthquake in the latter part of the 20th century struck.

You can check out a series of photos from the stadium below — memories that will shine bright well after the Candle is out.

Candlestick Park Throughout The Years

While Candlestick Park was under construction on March 4, 1959, the San Francisco Giants played their League games in Seals Stadium.

Image: Ernest K. Bennett/Associated Press

More than 42,000 baseball fans fill Candlestick Park in San Francisco on opening day to watch the San Francisco Giants on April 13, 1960.

Image: AP Photo/Associated Press

It's a hand-clapping, happy Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants who has just crossed home plate in the 10th inning to give the National League a 5 to 4 win over the American League in the All-Star game in San Francisco's Candlestick Park on July 11, 1961.

Image: AP Photo/Associated Press

A low wet fog swirled across the field at Candlestick Park in San Francisco as the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants opened a three-game series on Aug. 31, 1962.

Image: AP Photo/Associated Press

San Francisco Giants pitcher Juan Marichal (27) swings a bat at Los Angeles Dodgers catcher John Roseboro in the third inning at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Calif. on Aug. 22, 1965 when Marichal apparently felt Roseboro had thrown too close to his head.

Image: Robert H. Houston/Associated Press

A hot dog vendor plies his wares amid a large crowd that turned out at Candlestick Park in San Francisco to watch the San Francisco Giants play their opening home game of the 1965 season against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 20, 1965.

Image: AP Photo/Associated Press

San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh holds his arms in the air in victory after beating the Atlantic Falcons 17-14 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on Nov. 8, 1981.

Image: AP Photo/Associated Press

Baseball great Willie Mays wipes away a tear as the San Francisco Giants officially retire uniform No. 24 during Willie Mays Day before the Giants game against the New York Mets at Candlestick Park on Aug. 20, 1983 in San Francisco.

Image: Paul Sakuma/Associated Press

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana drops back to fire off a pass against the New York Giants during the first half of their NFC playoff game in Candlestick Park in San Francisco on Dec. 29, 1984.

Image: Eric Risberg/Associated Press

San Francisco 49ers John Frank (86) leaps high above a group of 49ers that rushed to congratulate Dwight Clark (87) after he scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Seattle in Candlestick Park in San Francisco on Nov. 26, 1985.

Image: Paul Sakuma/Associated Press

Two women take shelter from the cold with a sleeping bag on the upper deck of Candlestick Park in San Francisco on July 9, 1985.

Image: Eric Risberg/Associated Press

San Francisco 49ers' head coach Bill Walsh, center, shares a laugh with quarterback Joe Montana, in red jacket at right, and receiver Dwight Clark, left, during picture day at San Francisco's Candlestick Park on Jan. 16, 1985.

Image: AP Photo/Associated Press

Pope John Paul II holds mass at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on Sept. 18, 1987.

Image: Eric Risberg/Associated Press

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice runs past New Orleans Saints' Toi Cook for a touchdown in the first half during the 49ers' 31-13 victory over the Saints at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 1989.

Image: Martha Jane Stanton/Associated Press

San Francisco 49ers' quarterback Steve Young, eludes an outstretched New York Giants Keith Hamilton (75) and heads for a first down on Jan. 15, 1994 in San Francisco, during first quarter action in the NFC division playoffs.

Image: Susan Ragan/Associated Press

San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds celebrates on top of the Giants dugout after they beat the San Diego Padres to win the National League West title in San Francisco on Sept. 27, 1997.

Image: Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Former San Francisco 49ers running back Bill Ring, right, is greeted by Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, center, after catching a pass for a touchdown during the "Legends of Candlestick" flag football game on July 12, 2014 in San Francisco.

Image: Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Fireworks explode over Candlestick Park after the San Francisco 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-24 in an NFL football game in San Francisco on Dec. 23, 2013.

Image: Aaron Kehoe/Associated Press

A San Francisco 49ers fan holds up a sign for Candlestick Park during the first half of an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons in San Francisco on Dec. 23, 2013.

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